BA (British Airways)

Airline Profile

The story of British Airways is inextricably linked to the story of Britain in the modern era; the Union Jack that has for so long adorned the company's tailfins has become, in its own way, a historical cross to bear. In the glory days of the 1980s, BA projected an image of cosmopolitan prestige: nothing seemed more glamorous than zipping across the Atlantic on Concorde, save perhaps the appearance of Joan Collins (dubbed the Most Frequent Flyer of First Class, and - before you ask - no, that wasnt a euphemism) in the companys glossy promotional material.

By contrast, the airline has had much to contend with in recent years: squabbles with unions and cabin staff; the inglorious retirement of Concorde; the economic downturn; and the chaos that plagued the opening of Heathrow Terminal Five. Still, up in the air at least, BA continues to fly the flag as one of the UKs foremost blue-chip brands: restricting the majority of its operations to three London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and London City) has ensured passengers go to it, rather than it to them. Theres a reason the airlines in-flight magazine publishes under the title High Life.

Ironically, this potent symbol of British capitalism was the creation of a Labour government - formed in September 1974, under a nationalisation project that merged the existing BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) and BEA (British European Airways). In 1987, with BA firmly established as the yuppie carrier of choice, it was privatised in a heavily publicised share option; the company's close relationship with ad gurus Saatchi and Saatchi led to Delibes's 'The Flower Duel' becoming better known as the BA theme in a series of television adverts.

Obliged to carry all those stuffed wallets and outsized mobile phones, the airline started to pride itself on doing things big. In the 1990s, BA became known as the worlds most profitable airline (in the accountants ledger) and The Worlds Favourite Airline (in its publicity). It remained the largest carrier in terms of international passenger numbers up until 2008, and continues to form part of that elite group of airlines flying passengers to all six inhabited continents; currently, BA has around fifty Boeing 747-400's in service, with another sizeable order of Airbus A380's and Boeing 787's on their way.

Some caution should, perhaps, be exercised. BA has seen its popularity overtaken of late by the low-cost, no-frills provider Ryanair, and the chorus of customer service grumbles mounting online suggest the company might do well to take another look at its motto ( To Fly To Serve). There have been scuffles with rivals who accuse the company of operating a stranglehold on flights into and out of Heathrow, not to mention a plethora of managerial changes and PR blips: some passengers had to wait several months to reclaim their baggage from Terminal Five.

Yet various bold merger plans suggest an operator still keen to go places, and the development of the One Destination portfolio - committed to reducing carbon emissions - may just add a little green to the red, white and blue of the companys insignia.